


Zoey's Extraordinary One-Shots

by raredelightfulloveoak (XerxesBreak)



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: More Ships to come, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:35:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23551651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XerxesBreak/pseuds/raredelightfulloveoak
Summary: A place to gather all my prompts in one spot. All ships welcomed.
Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Max Richman
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	Zoey's Extraordinary One-Shots

**Author's Note:**

> first prompt: Sometimes being a complete nerd comes in handy-zoey x max

It was a week old pizza sort of night. And Zoey would much rather confront her questionable eating habits over dealing with the ever evolving relationship between her and Max. She picked a strange tasting mushroom off her pizza and flicked it onto her plate with a scowl. If only real world problems could be dealt with as easily. 

She’d barely finished off another barely edible piece when a knock on the door interrupted her hardly disguised pity party. She tossed the remaining pizza into the garbage on the way over to the door. It opened to reveal a very awkward looking Max standing in the doorway.

“Hey,”  
“Hey,”

Neither of them moved. It took Zoey a moment to remember her current state. Stained pajamas and a face smeared with tomato sauce. Max opened his mouth to speak, but closed it when she pointedly and swiftly scrubbed at her mouth with a dirty sweater sleeve. The gesture pulled a smirk out of him.

“ _ So _ , how may I help you?” She asked when the awkward silence was edging on unbearable. Her fingers started to play with a fraying thread absentmindedly. 

Max stalled as if he wasn’t expecting the question. 

“Right. Well, you know I took the job.” 

She knew he would, but it still took her aback to hear the words come out of his mouth. She smiled. It was a small smile, but still, she smiled.

“I’m happy for you Max. Really, it’s a big opportunity.” Truthfully she had no idea how to imagine working without him. They’d been together since day one. Zoey and Max. Max and Zoey. He’d been her only ally in a testosterone filled work environment. Though things had changed since then.  _ They’d  _ changed. 

Max shifted were he stood, “Actually I came here to talk.” He paused. Obviously he was having as much trouble with words as she was. 

“Zo, I feel like you don’t  _ talk  _ to me anymore. Not in a way that really matters. So before things change for good, I want you to be honest with me for once.”

“Of course Max, I don’t want things to be awkward between us anymore either,” It was easier said than done, because even as she spoke, Zoey had no idea how to untangle the feelings in her mind enough to form a coherent thought. 

He crossed his arms, “So tell me, why have you been so confusing lately? You’re always having these deep conversations with Simon and you can’t even tell your best friend how you’re feeling.”  
“Max it’s not that simple. I-I just can’t think about this right now. With work, and my father, and everything, it’s just-it’s just too much.” She sighed, the excuse sounding worn and tired even to herself. True, it _was_ too much, but that didn’t mean it was fair.

Zoey reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, “I love you Max, honest, but I need my best friend right now, complicated feelings and all. I want some space to think, but that doesn’t mean I want you out of my life,” He didn’t say anything. Zoey was beginning to think that they would be doomed to forever have conversations that never went anywhere. 

She pulled her hand back. Inside the tv blared. Zoey smiled to herself before addressing Max, “Hey, I know we put a pause on movie night, but they’re having a star trek marathon on tv right now.”

He didn’t take the bait, “They’re always having a trek marathon on tv”

“Yeah,  _ but  _ it’s the movies right now, and I think the one with the whales is up next.” He still didn’t look to be convinced in the slightest. Zoey flashed a playful grin, easing back into the comfortable state of pretending they were fine, “Please? Just one more time before you go off and become an official drkpoint minion.” She shrugged, “Then we can go back to whatever it is that we are right now.” 

Finally Max caved. She didn’t think he would, but soon a reluctant smile spread across his face as he feigned nonchalance, “Well, who could resist the charm of Leonard Nimoy and his iconic eyebrows.” 

“Great,” Internally she celebrated this small victory and pulled him inside. 

Max spent the entire movie quoting the movie under his breath. Zoey rolled her eyes whenever he dramatically mimicked William Shatner or tried to get her to play along in his shenanigans. 

“Wow,” Zoey said with a chuckle, “You never cease to amaze me,”

Max finally pulled his focus off the screen to look at her, “What? With my irresistible good looks and schoolboy charm?” She smiled softly despite herself, seeing Max act like his old self was filling her with an almost indescribable joy.

Zoey nudged him, “No. Just stunned by the fact that you’ve memorized this movie line for line and yet insist you don’t remember that awful team building seminar Joan sent us too three years ago,”

“I swear, that never happened!” 

“Tobin drank too much and threw up in my shoes Max. I made you clean them out for me.”

He shrugged, “Must of been a dream Zoey,”

“Uh-huh, sure. Still, your priorities are very impressive.”

Max smiled, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore, “Sometimes being a complete nerd comes in handy,” Zoey just shook her head, not about to ask when  _ that  _ particular skill set would come in handy. 

Finally the credits rolled. She reached over to grab the remote, but Max stopped her. 

“Oh no you don’t!” With a swiftness Zoey wasn’t expecting, he wrapped his arms around her waist in an effort to stop her from turning off the television. She easily pulled out his grip after a few seconds and snatched her prize. 

“Zoey no!”

Holding the remote triumphantly in her grasp, Zoey ignored his pleas, “Come on Max, you of all people should know that the only good star trek movies are the even numbered ones.”

He didn’t argue back. Instead, Max stood up to meet her gaze. Zoey watched him closely. He kept his hands at his sides, but there was a glint in his eyes. “Now Zoey,” Max started, “we all know that’s not true,”

She rolled her eyes, “I will fight you on thi-” Before she could finish, Max made a move to steal the remote again. Luckily Zoey caught it in time, and luckily, Mo’s old workout videos finally proved to be good for something. 

Holding it over her head, laughter spilled out of her like a bubbling fountain, “You can’t beat me Max Richman, I’ve been working out.” He took a step closer. Obviously the late night coupled with silly science fiction adventures was messing with their heads, because it took a moment for Zoey to realize that their faces were incredibly close. 

She felt weight leave her hand, and then Max was stepping back and waving the remote in front of her.

“That's Richman: one, and Clarke: zero,” A dorky dance followed that statement as Max reveled in his victory. Then something in his face changed as if he too was realizing the ease in which they were acting like carefree interns again. He set the remote down on the arm of the couch. 

“Right.” He looked at the floor, not at her. Zoey’s arms instinctively crossed as she searched for something to say. Max spoke first.

“Night Zoey.” And then he was out the door before she could say goodbye. 

**Author's Note:**

> next prompt: I don't want to screw this up-zoey x simon


End file.
